שמות, פרק ל״ז, פסוק כ״ט

The creation of the sacred anointing oil and the fragrant incense stands as a unique phase in the construction of the Tabernacle. The account of their preparation appears briefly, almost as an appendix to the crafting of the incense altar. Interestingly, this takes place even before the completion of the other Tabernacle vessels that are destined to be anointed by this very oil [קאסוטו, חזקוני]. Unlike the extensive details provided for the physical vessels, the instructions here are remarkably short, omitting the specific list of spices and the exact steps of preparation. This brevity reflects a reliance on the professional expertise of the craftsmen. The oil and incense were crafted with exact precision and strict care, guided by the deep knowledge of expert perfumers [רמב״ן, הטור הארוך, ביאור שטיינזלץ, בכור שור].

A distinct contrast emerges in how these two mixtures are described: the anointing oil is called holy, while the incense is called pure. At a basic level, describing the incense as pure means the spices were thoroughly cleaned and sifted to remove any waste or foreign matter. Even the smallest amount of dirt could ruin their delicate fragrance [ספורנו, ביאור שטיינזלץ, בכור שור, חזקוני].

The anointing oil, on the other hand, is designated as holy because it was meant to be eternal and indestructible [ספורנו]. More importantly, its primary purpose is to sanctify other objects and people, such as the Tabernacle, its vessels, and the priests. Since the incense does not possess this power to sanctify other things, it is called pure rather than holy. Yet, because of its close connection to the sacred service, the incense is susceptible to ritual impurity and therefore requires strict standards of purity [הטור הארוך, פענח רזא, צפנת פענח].

Another approach explains this difference through the stage of preparation each item had reached. The anointing oil was completely finished through a cooking process over fire, allowing it to achieve immediate holiness. In contrast, the initial work on the incense only involved preparing the mixture, as the actual grinding was best left until right before it was burned. Therefore, at this early stage, the incense is only considered pure as a clean mixture without foreign elements, but it has not yet reached full holiness [העמק דבר].

An additional practical reason explains the different descriptions. During the preparation of the incense, there was a real concern that the craftsmen might accidentally enjoy its pleasant scent, which would violate the severe prohibition against deriving personal benefit from sacred items. To prevent this, the incense was prepared while maintaining an ordinary, everyday status, though kept in absolute purity, and was only officially dedicated to God afterward. The anointing oil did not present the same risk, as an ordinary person is strictly forbidden from making it under any circumstances, allowing it to be declared holy from the very beginning of its creation [פרדס יוסף].